Connector



Jn.. El, D. E. Aus-HN CONNECTOR Original Filed MarollfBG, 1945 IN V EN TOR. Dw/GHT E., AWT/N BZW fg/755m AT TOR/v5 YJ Patented Jan. 31, i950 `UlTED STATES .CONNECTOR Dwight E. Austin, Kent, Ohio, assignor'toSamuel Moore & Company, Kent, Ghia, a `cor-poration of Ohio Uriginal application March 26, .1.945, Serial No. 584,977. Divided and thsapplicatcn 'October 9, 1946, Serial N0. 702,121

7 Glaims. l

AThis invention relates to `improvements in vconnector means for joining tubular elements, and

the present application constitutes a division of "application Serial No. 584,977, filed by me on March 26, 1945, now Patent 2,456,480, December 14, 1948.

An object of the invention is to make a con- 1nection which will operate to effect a joint beltween `tubular elements such as stanchion tubes The tubular members extend at right angles to each other, without necessitating the use of single or `double T-couplings that `necessitate splitting :and `threading of the tubes, `and that are diicult to adjust and replace `in the event of damage to any `particular section.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. l is a side view showing my `invention as applied to the joining of `tubular members that extend at right angles to each other; Fig. '2 is asection taken on a vertical axis through Fig. l; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sections taken through correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 `is a side View illustrating two tubes connected together at right angles to each other, and Fig. 7 is a section taken vertically through the axis of the tubes shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. l I have shown two tubular members IB and Il which are connected in alignment to `opposite sides of a tube i2. The connection is made :by `utilizing a bolt i which extends through radial opening I@ in the tube E2 and which has one end Il thereof disposed within the tube Hl, and the other end i2 thereof `disposed within the `tube H. The head `of the bolt bears against a :sleeve Effi, which is circular in cross-section and which extends into a ,resilient bushing 2i from one end thereof. A coacting sleeve 22 extends into the bushing from the other end thereof and bears against a collar 23. The bolt has a noncircular cross-section adjacent the head end thereof, and the collar has a bolt receiving aperture that is shaped complementary to the crosssectional shape of the bolt shank, as is shown more particularly in Fig. 4, whereby the bolt is non-rotatably but axially movable With respect to the collar. Thus, whenever the collar is turned, the bolt is correspondingly rotated with reference to the various tubes.

The end of the bolt opposite the head is threaded for engagement with a threaded passageway in a sleeve 3i) which extends into a reslient bushing 3! from one end thereof, and which coacts with a sleeve 32 that extends into i2 the vother `end `of the bushing for compressing uthe bushing `axially and thereby `expanding ,it radiallyfagainstfthe Walls ofthe tube il.

The resilient bushings 2| and 31 are so made 'that in their normal position they may be `passed freely into the tube, but vwhen compressed and confined against axial movement, maybe forced .radially against `the walls `of the tube so as to effect a ffrictional engagement therewith.

To yeffect a .hat `bearing surface for the collar 23 and the head `ofxthe sleeve 432, I have shown saddle memberse jand 34, each of which is aper- 4turedto `clear the ,shank ofthe bolt, and each of which `'haga flat bearing surface on one side for ^engagement with the collar .23 and the sleeve 32 respectively, :and curved surfaces on the inner side thereof for engaging the tube l2. Thus, when 'the parts f are assembled fas shown inFig.

'2, and whenever 'the collar .123 is turned in one direction, 'the `boltis advanced 'through the sleeve Sil, ,Wherebythe resilient `bushings or `sleeves 2| :and `3i are expanded radially against th-e walls .of fthe tubes il! .and I l, respectively, and a rm clamping .action is ieffected therebetween.

In Figs. i6 and t7, 'I have shown a connection between two 'tubes 'Ml and lll wherein the joint ismiade by means ,of a JboltsZ, the head or `which *lies within 'thertube M, and :a Istationary nut '43 which :is `threaded to `receive vthe bolt and is dis- .posed within'the `tube fdl). In this arrangement, the shank 4of the cbolt yadjacent `the head end thereof Iis non-circular `'in `cross-section and is non-rotatably but :axially .movable through a complementary-shaped :opening in a collar Q11 which is positioned between the tube fil and the resilient :bushing A21A, adjacent ,the head `end of the bolt, lwith .coacting sleeves 2BA and 122A, is yused A.in this construction as iis shown in Fig. 2, as a result of which, the bushing is expanded against the wall of the tube 4| whenever the collar is turned to clamp the bolt to the nut i3.

An advantage of the present invention as applied to the assembly of a joint between two or more tubes that have their axes at right angles to each other, is that threaded pipe couplings are not required, thus obviating the necessity for splitting and threading the vertically extending tubes. The invention as so applied is also advantageous in that the joint may be readily tightened by means of a wrench applied exteriorly of the tube, and in that the joint enables any section to be readily replaced without dis turbing a line of pipe connections.

I claim:

1. A device for eiecting a joint between two tubular members which have their axes disposed at an angle to eachother, said device comprising a resilient bushing disposed in one of the members, a bolt extending through the bushing and into the other member, a nut on the far side oi at least a portion of the last-mentioned member and having threaded engagement with said bolt, and a collar embracing the bolt and disposed between the two tubular members, said collar operating when rotated to rotate the bolt with respect to said nut and to expand the bushing radially against the wall of said tube to effect a clamping action therewith.

2. A device for eiecting a joint between two tubular members, the axes of which extend at an angle to each other, said device including a resilient bushing in one of the members, a bolt extending through the bushing and into the other member, a nut member on the far side of at least a portion of said other member and adapted to have a threaded engagement with said bolt, the bolt having a non-circular cross-section along a portion thereof, a collar having an aperture therein complementary to the cross-sectional shape of the non-circular portion of the bolt, a bearing member interposed between the collar and one of the tubular members and having an aperture therein through which the bolt may be freely rotated, said collar operating when rotated in one direction to tighten the bolt and thereby to exert pressure on the bushing in an axial direction, and means for restraining axial expansion of the bushing, whereby the bushing expands radially to effect a clamping action against the wall of the associated tube.

3. A device for eiecting a joint between two aligned tubes, and a third tube, the axis of which intersects the axes of the first-mentioned tubes, said device including a resilient bushing disposed in each of the two first-mentioned tubes, a bolt extending through said bushings and also through the third tube, a member in one of the tubes having a threaded passageway for coacting with the threads on said bolt and operating when the bolt is tightened with respect thereto to expand the respective bushings radially against the walls of the associated tubes, and a collar embracing the bolt and disposed adjacent the end of one tube for enabling the bolt to be rotated with reference to the tubes by pressure applied to the collar exteriorly of the tubes.

4. A device for effecting a joint between two tubes, the axes of which intersect, said device comprising a resilient bushing disposed within one tube, a bolt projecting through the bushing and into the other tube, a nut positioned in the last-mentioned tube for threaded engagement with said bolt and a member slidably embracing the bolt and disposed between said tubes, said member being accessible for rotation at a point exteriorly of the tubes, and operating when rotated in one direction to tighten the bolt, and thereby to expand the bushing into clamping engagement with the wall of the associated tube.

5. A device for effecting a joint between two tubular members disposed at an angle to each other, said device comprising a resilient bushing disposed in the rst member, a bolt extending through said bushing and beyond the rst member and passing at least into the second member, externally accessible means between the two tubular members for rotating the bolt, and means bearing on the far side of at least a portion of said second member and including a nut engaging threads on the bolt.

6. A device for effecting a joint between three tubes, two of which align with each other and stand on opposite sides of the third tube which extends transversely of the other two, said device including a resilient bushing disposed in each of the aligned tubes, a bolt extending through said bushings and the intermediate tube, a nut in one of the aligned tubes coacting with threads on the bolt, and means for rotating the bolt.

7. A device ior eiecting a joint between two cylindrical tubes which have their axes at an angle to each other and one of which abuts an `intermediate region of the other, a saddle having a flat exterior and a concave interior bearing against said intermediate region, a collar between the at face of the saddle and the end of the abutting tube, a resilient bushing in such abutting tube, a bolt occupying the bushing extending through the collar, a nut for said bolt, the bolt having a non-circular exterior portion and the collar having a correspondingly shaped aperture through which the bolt extends whereby the collar may rotate the bolt.

DWIGHT E. AUSTIN.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 641,895 Scovil Jan. 23, 1900 2,075,714 Hamill Mar. 30, 1937 2,214,177 Raybould Sept. 10, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 305,966 Great Britain Feb. 12, 1929 24,292 Australia Dec. 23, 1929 172,311 Switzerland Oct. 15, 1934 

